Fan apparatus and fan gate thereof

ABSTRACT

An exemplary fan apparatus includes a cooling fan and a fan gate attached to the cooling fan. The cooling fan defines an air inlet and an air outlet at two opposite sides thereof. The fan gate includes a mounting frame fixed on the cooling fan and surrounding the air outlet, and an airflow valve extending from the mounting frame. The airflow valve is bendable relative to the mounting frame. When the cooling fan works, an airflow produced by the cooling fan flows to the fan gate and pushes the airflow valve to bend with respect to the cooling fan to cause the air outlet to be exposed. When the cooling fan does not work, the airflow valve covers the air outlet.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure generally relates to cooling devices for electronic apparatuses, and particularly to a fan apparatus incorporating a fan gate.

2. Description of Related Art

Cooling fans are often applied in electronic devices, such as a computers or servers, to dissipate heat from electronic components of the electronic devices. Typically, the cooling fans are arranged side by side, in parallel. Air outlets of the cooling fans are located at a same side of the bank of cooling fans, thus increasing an area that airflow of the cooling fans flows to. Accordingly, the cooling fans are capable of cooling many more electronic components simultaneously.

During operation, one or another of the cooling fans may fail, due to, e.g., aging. At that time, the other cooling fans continue working and drive air from their air inlets to their air outlets. Accordingly, air pressure at the air outlets of the bank of cooling fans exceeds that at the air inlets of the bank of cooling fans, and an air pressure difference is thus formed between the air inlet and the air outlet of the failed cooling fan. Therefore, the air at the air outlet of the failed cooling fan has a tendency to flow to the air inlet of such cooling fan due to the air pressure difference. This results in a reduction of the total airflow provided by the other cooling fans to the electronic components. Accordingly, the heat dissipation of the electronic components is further impaired.

Therefore, an improved fan apparatus is needed to overcome the described limitations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a fan apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, wherein the fan apparatus includes a fan gate and a fixing frame.

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of the fan gate and the fixing frame of the fan apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of the assembled fan gate and fixing frame of FIG. 2, taken along line thereof.

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of the fan apparatus of FIG. 1, showing positions of flaps of the fan gate when the fan apparatus is working.

FIG. 5 is a right side plan view of the fan apparatus of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a front plan view of the fan apparatus of FIG. 4, but showing the positions of the flaps of the fan gate when the fan apparatus is not working.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a fan apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In typical use, a plurality of the fan apparatuses 100 can be installed in an electronic device, such as a server or a computer, side by side in parallel to dissipate heat from electronic components of the electronic device.

The fan apparatus 100 includes a cooling fan 10, a fan gate 20, and a fixing frame 30 for fixing the fan gate 20 onto the cooling fan 10.

The cooling fan 10 includes a fan housing 11, and a rotor 12 for generating a forced airflow. The fan housing 11 is square-shaped and hollow, and the rotor 12 is received in the fan housing 11. A rear side of the fan housing 11 defines an air inlet 14 of the cooling fan 10 for the forced airflow to enter the fan housing 11, and a front side of the fan housing 11 defines an air outlet 15 of the cooling fan 10 for the forced airflow to exit the fan housing 11.

A base 16 is received in the fan housing 11 and arranged at the air outlet 15 of the cooling fan 10. The base 16 is substantially circular. An outer periphery of the base 16 is spaced from an inner surface of the fan housing 11. A plurality of ribs 17 is connected between the outer periphery of the base 16 and the inner surface of the fan housing 11, thereby fixing the base 16 in the fan housing 11. A stator (not shown) is received in the fan housing 11 and mounted on the base 16. The rotor 12 is rotatably mounted on the stator. A passage 13 is defined between the inner surface of the fan housing 11 and the rotor 12 for allowing the forced airflow through the cooling fan 10.

The fan gate 20 includes an outer mounting frame 22, and an inner airflow valve 24 extending substantially from an inner periphery of the mounting frame 22. Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the illustrated embodiment, the fan gate 20 is a single, monolithic body of the same material which comprises the mounting frame 22 and the airflow valve 24 (see also below). The mounting frame 22 is attached to the fan housing 11 of the cooling fan 10, to fix the fan gate 20 to the cooling fan 10. The airflow valve 24 has a square periphery. The mounting frame 22 is substantially in the shape of a square frame. The mounting frame 22 includes four elongated, straight beams 225 joined end to end. Each two neighboring beams 225 are perpendicular to each other. The mounting frame 22 has an inner dimension matching an outer dimension of the outer periphery 112 of the fan housing 11 of the cooling fan 10.

In an original state, the airflow valve 24 is substantially flat and generally square-shaped. The airflow valve 24 includes four flaps 25 extending inwardly substantially from inner edges of the beams 225 of the mounting frame 22, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the flaps 25 integrally extend from the beams 225 of the mounting frame 22. The flaps 25 extend towards the center of the mounting frame 22. Each flap 25 is generally isosceles trapezoid, except that an inmost side of the flap 25 is concave. In the illustrated embodiment, the inmost side is arc-shaped. Each flap 25 includes a connected end extending from the mounting frame 22, and a free end which has the concave side.

More particularly, each flap 25 defines a top edge 252 at the free end, a bottom edge 254 at the connected end, and two side edges 256 each running between the top edge 252 and the bottom edge 254. The bottom edge 254 extends from a corresponding beam 225 of the mounting frame 22. The top edge 252 is located at a central area of the mounting frame 22, far away from the beam 225 of the mounting frame 22. The top edge 252 is shorter than the bottom edge 254. A width of each flap 25, measured from one side edge 256 to the other side edge 256, gradually decreases from the bottom edge 254 to the top edge 252. The side edges 256 of each flap 25 abut the side edges 256 of two neighboring flaps 25 when the fan apparatus is not working. Neighboring side edges 256 of neighboring flaps 25 are connected at the connected ends, but unconnected at the free ends.

The top edges 252 of the flaps 25 cooperatively define a ventilating hole 27 therebetween. The ventilating hole 27 is aligned with the base 16 of the cooling fan 10. A size of the ventilating hole 27 is slightly smaller than that of the base 16. In this embodiment, the top edge 252 of each flap 25 is one fourth of a circle, and the top edges 252 of the flaps 25 cooperatively form a whole circle 28.

The airflow valve 24 is made of light and soft material which is hard to tear, such as cloth or Mylar™ (i.e., polyester). When the cooling fan 10 produces a forced airflow flowing to the fan gate 20, the airflow valve 24 of the fan gate 20 is blown open. In such a state, the flaps 25 move away from the cooling fan 10 and extend obliquely outwardly along directions corresponding to the direction of the airflow due to a force of the airflow. In this embodiment, the fan gate 20 is made of cloth to achieve low noise during operation of the cooling fan 10, and the airflow valve 24 is integrally formed with the mounting frame 22.

The fixing frame 30 includes a four-sided front plate 32, and a four-sided side plate 34 extending rearward from an outer circumference of the front plate 32. The front plate 32 corresponds to a circumferential portion of the airflow valve 24 of the fan gate 20, and the side plate 34 corresponds to the mounting frame 22 of the fan gate 20. In the present embodiment, the front plate 32 is flat and substantially square shaped. An opening 35 defined in the front plate 32, corresponding to a central portion of the airflow valve 24 of the fan gate 20. The front plate 32 has an outer dimension slightly greater than that of the airflow valve 24 of the fan gate 20.

The side plate 34 extends perpendicularly rearward from an outer circumference of the front plate 32. The side plate 34 has a shape similar to the mounting frame 22 of the fan gate 20. That is, the side plate 34 is substantially in the shape of a square frame. The side plate 34 has an inner dimension matching an outer dimension of the mounting frame 22 of the fan gate 20, such that the mounting frame 22 of the fan gate 20 can be fittingly attached to an inner side of the side plate 34.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in preassembly of the fan apparatus 100, the fan gate 20 is fixed to the inner side of the fixing frame 30, with the mounting frame 22 of the fan gate 20 attached to the inner side of the side plate 34 of the fixing frame 30. In particular, the side plate 34 of the fixing frame 30 fittingly surrounds and abuts against the mounting frame 22 of the fan gate 20. The front plate 32 of the fixing frame 30 abuts against the outer circumferential portion of the airflow valve 24 of the fan gate 20. The central portion of the airflow valve 24 of the fan gate 20 is aligned with the opening 35 of the fixing frame 30.

Referring to FIG. 4, in assembly of the fan apparatus 100, the combined fan gate 20 and fixing frame 30 is attached to the fan housing 11 of the cooling fan 10, with the mounting frame 22 of the fan gate 20 fittingly surrounding and abutting against the outer periphery 112 of the fan housing 11. Thus the mounting frame 22 of the fan gate 20 is sandwiched between the outer periphery 112 of the fan housing 11 and the side plate 34 of the fixing frame 30. A tight fit is formed between the fixing frame 30 and the fan housing 11 of the cooling fan 10, such that the fan gate 20 is stably fixed on the fan housing 11.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, during operation of the fan apparatus 100, the rotor 12 is driven to rotate by the stator to produce the forced airflow flowing from the air inlet 14 to the air outlet 15. The airflow pushes the flaps 25 to bend with respect to the mounting frame 22 of the fan gate 20 to cause the air outlet 15 to be exposed. The flaps 25 extend through the opening 35 of the fixing frame 30, and slant forward along directions corresponding to the direction of the airflow. The free ends of the flaps 25 are spaced from each other, and thus the size of the ventilating hole 27 of the fan gate 20 is increased to facilitate the passage of the airflow through the fan gate 20. In such a state, the airflow valve 24 of the fan gate 20 is generally funnel-shaped. An area of a cross section of a passage defined between the flaps 25 gradually decreases along the direction of the airflow.

Referring to FIG. 6, if the cooling fan 10 fails, the airflow pushing force applied to the flaps 25 of the fan gate 20 is removed. In the above-described typical use of the fan apparatus 100, there are also other fan apparatuses 100 that continue working. That is, the cooling fans 10 of the other fan apparatuses 100 continue driving air from their air inlets 14 to their air outlets 15. As a result, air pressure at the air outlets 15 of the bank of cooling fans 10 exceeds that at the air inlets 14 of the bank of cooling fans 10, and an air pressure difference is thus formed between the air inlet 14 and the air outlet 15 of the failed cooling fan 10. Accordingly, the air at the air outlet 15 of the failed cooling fan 10 has a tendency to flow to the air inlet 14 of the failed cooling fan 10.

Since the airflow valve 24 of the fan gate 20 of the failed cooling fan 10 is made of light and soft material, when the air at the air outlet 15 flows towards the air inlet 14, the flaps 25 are pushed to move towards the cooling fan 10 until the fan gate 20 resumes to its original state as indicated in FIG. 1. In that state, the neighboring side edges 256 of the neighboring flaps 25 abut each other. The flaps 25 are coplanar and cooperatively cover the whole air outlet 15 of the cooling fan 10, thus preventing the air at the air outlet 15 from flowing to the air inlet 14 of the cooling fan 10. Therefore, reduction of the total airflow provided by the other cooling fans 10 to the electronic components is avoided, and accordingly, the heat dissipation of the electronic components is prevented from being further impaired.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of certain embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A fan apparatus, comprising: a cooling fan defining an air inlet and an air outlet at two opposite sides thereof; and a fan gate attached to the cooling fan at the air outlet, the fan gate comprising: a mounting frame fixed on the cooling fan; and an airflow valve extending from the mounting frame, the airflow valve being bendable relative to the mounting frame; wherein when the cooling fan works, airflow produced by the cooling fan flows to the fan gate and pushes the airflow valve to bend with respect to the cooling fan to cause the air outlet to be exposed; and when the cooling fan does not work, the airflow valve covers the air outlet.
 2. The fan apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the cooling fan works, the airflow valve of the fan gate forms a funnel-shaped arrangement, with an area of a cross section of a passage defined by the funnel-shaped airflow valve gradually decreasing along a flowing direction of the airflow.
 3. The fan apparatus of claim 2, wherein the airflow valve of the fan gate comprises a plurality of flaps extending inward from a periphery of the mounting frame, each of the flaps of the fan gate comprises a connected end and a free end at opposite sides thereof, the connected end extends from the mounting frame, the free ends of the flaps cooperatively define a ventilating hole therebetween.
 4. The fan apparatus of claim 3, wherein each two neighboring flaps are connected with each other at their connected ends, but unconnected with each other at their free ends.
 5. The fan apparatus of claim 4, wherein each flap is approximately an isosceles trapezoid, and comprises a bottom edge, a top edge and two side edges running between the bottom edge to the top edge, the bottom edge extends from the mounting frame, the top edge is shorter than the bottom edge, and side edges of each flap abut the side edges of two neighboring flaps when the airflow valve covers the air outlet of the cooling fan.
 6. The fan apparatus of claim 5, wherein the top edge of each flap is concave, and the top edges of the flaps cooperatively define the ventilating hole.
 7. The fan apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the airflow valve of the fan gate covers the air outlet of the cooling fan, the ventilating hole aligned with a central area of the cooling fan.
 8. The fan apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fixing frame, the fixing frame fixed on the cooling fan, and the mounting frame of the fan gate sandwiched between the fixing frame and the cooling fan.
 9. The fan apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fixing frame comprises a front plate and a side plate extending from an outer circumference of the front plate, the side plate corresponds to the mounting frame of the fan gate, the front plate corresponds to a circumferential portion of the airflow valve of the fan gate, and the front plate defines an opening corresponding to a central portion of the airflow valve of the fan gate, when the cooling fan works, the airflow of the cooling fan pushes the central portion of the airflow valve of the fan gate to extend through the opening.
 10. The fan apparatus of claim 1, wherein the airflow valve of the fan gate is made of material selected from the group consisting of cloth and polyester.
 11. The fan apparatus of claim 1, wherein the airflow valve is integrally formed with the mounting frame.
 12. A fan gate for attaching to an air outlet of a cooling fan, the fan gate comprising: an airflow valve facing the air outlet of the cooling fan; and a mounting frame surrounding the airflow valve, the mounting frame being configured for fixing the fan gate to the air outlet of the cooling fan; wherein the airflow valve is configured to bend with respect to the mounting frame to facilitate airflow through the fan gate when the cooling fan works and airflow produced by the cooling fan pushes the airflow valve; and the airflow valve is configured to cover the air outlet when the cooling fan does not work.
 13. The fan gate of claim 12, wherein the airflow valve is configured to form a generally funnel-shaped arrangement with an area of a cross section of an air passage defined by the funnel-shaped airflow valve gradually decreasing along an airflow direction when the cooling fan works and airflow produced by the cooling fan pushes the airflow valve.
 14. The fan gate of claim 13, wherein the airflow valve comprises a plurality of flaps extending inward from a periphery of the mounting frame, each of the flaps comprises a connected end and a free end at opposite sides thereof, the connected end extends from the mounting frame, and the free ends of the flaps cooperatively define a ventilating hole therebetween.
 15. The fan gate of claim 14, wherein each two neighboring flaps are connected with each other at their connected ends, but unconnected with each other at their free ends.
 16. The fan gate of claim 14, wherein each flap is approximately an isosceles trapezoid, and comprises a bottom edge, a top edge and two side edges running between the bottom edge to the top edge, the bottom edge extends from the mounting frame, the top edge is shorter than the bottom edge, and side edges of each flap abut side edges of two neighboring flaps when the airflow valve has a configuration that is able to cover the air outlet.
 17. The fan gate of claim 16, wherein the top edge of each flap is concave, and the top edges of the flaps cooperatively define the ventilating hole.
 18. The fan gate of claim 12, wherein the airflow valve is made of material selected from the group consisting of cloth and polyester.
 19. A fan apparatus, comprising: a cooling fan defining an air inlet and an air outlet at two opposite sides thereof, and comprising a base at a middle of the air outlet; and a fan gate comprising: a mounting frame fixed on the cooling fan at the air outlet; and an airflow valve extending from the mounting frame, the airflow valve comprising a plurality of bendable flaps each extending inward from the mounting frame toward a middle of the fan gate; wherein when the cooling fan does not work and ambient air pressure is exerted on the flaps, the flaps are substantially aligned with each other and cover the air outlet as well as a peripheral portion of the base; and when the cooling fan works, airflow produced by the cooling fan flows to the fan gate and pushes the flaps to bend in directions corresponding to a direction of the airflow.
 20. The fan apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the flaps is approximately an isosceles trapezoid, and comprises a bottom edge, a top edge and two side edges running between the bottom edge to the top edge, the bottom edge extends from the mounting frame, the top edge is shorter than the bottom edge, side edges of each flap abut side edges of two neighboring flaps when the airflow valve has a configuration that is able to cover the air outlet, top edge of each flap is concave, and the top edges of the flaps cooperatively define a ventilating hole when the airflow valve has a configuration that is able to cover the air outlet. 